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to leave

to leave

1.7
To let another person take care of something or someone
  • verb
  • /liːv/
translation icon : dejar al cuidado de
  • She decided to leave the kids with their grandparents for the weekend.
  • leave in the care of
  • leave the responsibility to

OK, so I will leave you with that thought.

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Examples

  • But you can leave all that to me.

  • The host was so kind to leave us his homemade wine.

  • OK, so I will leave you with that thought.

  • And I would like just to leave you with this answer.

  • The last thing I really want to leave you with is money.

  • And then I want to leave you with our last story.

  • If you want to check them out, I'll leave a link down below.

  • So in conclusion, let me leave you with six messages.

  • I'm not available right now, but leave a message, and I will call you right back.

  • And now let me leave you some words from Elon Musk.

Synonyms

to turn over
vsto leave
248 3.2

Give a person or thing to someone else to look after

is used more generally to place responsibility without implying formal custody
to entrust
vsto leave
87 4.1

To give someone the job of looking after something or someone

is more neutral and everyday, placing a person or item under another's responsibility
to hand off
vsto leave
  • US
22 3.7

Give responsibility, control, or an object to another person

places long term responsibility on another rather than a brief transfer of control

Antonyms

To admit you caused a problem and accept the blame

Idioms

Is not as good as expected or needed

To go far ahead of someone in speed or success

12 7.9

To abandon someone at the last moment before their wedding

9 4.6

An offer you cannot change that you must accept or refuse

Try every possible way and search everywhere to achieve a goal

Behave in a very foolish way without thinking clearly

Not showing all details so people can think about the missing parts

To try as hard as you can during a game or competition

1 8.9

Going away from a place without telling or asking anyone

Make something not completely certain or convincing

A warning that bad behavior on a work trip can lead to punishment at work when you return

Do much better than other companies or teams

To be ready to leave a place or situation for the smallest reason

To put aside your pride to work well with others

To let someone else decide what to do next

7.8

To walk out suddenly while showing anger

Make someone laugh a lot so they cannot stop

8.2

To say goodbye in a warm, loving way when you must leave

To leave a place quickly, often as a joke

Phrasal Verbs

2.3

To avoid touching and disturbing a person, animal or object

604 2.6

To go away from a place without taking someone or something with you

312 2.3

To not include someone or something

to leave off
  • Informal
104 4.1

Stop doing something for a short time, for example at a point in a book

102 1.4

To move out of your parents' house to live by yourself

Go away from a place before the usual or expected time

To die and have people or things remain after you

to leave office
  • Literature
53 4.2

Stop being a leader with official power, for example a government official or company boss

To stop talking about an issue and accept it as it is

45 6.6

Fail to give someone help or information when they need it

to up and leave
  • Informal
41 6.3

Go away suddenly without warning or explanation

25 2.3

To let something stay switched on or stay where it is

To not take or change something so it stays where it is

to leave a mark
  • Informal
18 3.9

To have a lasting effect on a person or thing that people notice

To keep a chance open for the future

12 4.4

Not include someone or something in a list

To stop working at a job because you want something different

to take leave
  • Formal
5 3.9

Say goodbye to people and go away from a place politely

to leave off
  • Informal
1 4.5

Stop wearing a piece of clothing, for example a tie

1 6.7

To keep worries and problems out of a place so you can focus

to leave it be
  • Informal
1 5.1

To let something stay as it is without changing it

To make someone feel very amazed and full of admiration

1 7.7

To say goodbye and leave politely

Stop discussing a topic and not talk about it more

7.5

To beat others easily by being much faster or better

7.7

To stop growing crops on a field for a time to let the soil get better

Compounds

38 3.9

A period when someone is officially allowed to be away from work or school

30 1.0

The moment when you should leave a place

shore leave
  • Jargon
14 5.6

Official permission for sailors to go ashore while their ship is in port

14 2.4

A period away from work because a worker is ill

12 2.7

Time away from work to care for family members after a birth, adoption, or when they are ill

5 3.4

Time off work to care for a new child after birth or adoption

Time a father can take off work after a child is born or adopted

A long time away from work for personal, medical, or family reasons

1 3.5

Time away from work given so a worker can deal with a serious family illness or death

leave-taking
  • Formal
1 7.0

To say goodbye in a polite or formal way

1 7.0

A final time away from duty taken before leaving the military while still officially in service

A period of paid time away from work to study or travel

ticket-of-leave
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A permit that lets a prisoner live and work outside prison under rules

A person who is away from military duty without permission

How Responsible

to entrust
87 4.1
to leave
1.7
to delegate
45 3.7
to hand over
296 2.8
to relinquish
  • Formal
69 7.2

Surface Forms

leave infinitive
leaving present participle
leaves third person singular
left past
left past participle

Etymology

Leave meaning to put someone or something into another person's care comes from Old English lǣfan, which could mean 'to give' or 'to allow', so to leave a child with a friend is to give them the care and responsibility for a time.